---
url: /set-instructions/insert-using-formula.md
description: Inserts an element into the working set using a formula
---

# Insert Using Formula

Adds an element to the working list using a formula. The formula returns the name of the element to insert - evaluated dynamically, rather than a fixed element picked from the hierarchy explorer.

| Argument | Type | Description |
| --- | --- | ------ |
| Formula | Formula | The formula to evaluate for each element in the working set |

#### Example

```
IF(ELEMENT("Scenario") = "Forecast", "Forecast View", "Actual View")
```

A simple `ELEMENT("Time")` formula is functionally equivalent to [Insert Element From Title](/set-instructions/insert-element-from-title) - the formula form is worth reaching for specifically when you need conditional logic around the insertion, like inferring a selection from more than one dimension, as above. See [Common Patterns](/set-instructions/common-patterns#pattern-3-context-driven-dynamic-sets-in-cards) for a worked context-driven example.

This only decides *which* element gets inserted - it doesn't affect how that element is displayed. To style an element conditionally once it's in the working list, see [Apply Style Using Formula](/set-instructions/apply-style-using-formula).

![Insert Using Formula re-evaluating against a Card's Scenario title selectable, inserting a different element depending on its current value](/set-instructions-example-insert-using-formula.svg)